Sound-reproducing machine



April 1, 1931" BRYANT 1,799 8 I SOUND REPRODUCING MACHINE Filed March 28, 1930 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 jwumtok Pay 5. Zirypm 7 April 7, 1931. i R. B. BRYANT 1,799,148

SOUND REPRODUCING MACHINE Filed March 28, 1930 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 A rin; 1931.

R. B. BRYANT sounn 'REPRoDdING mcumgz Filed March 28, 1930 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 ELL Patent ed Apr. 7, 1931 u ir -o STATES" PATENT; orrlca no: 1;. BRYANT, or DALLAS,- rnxAs SOUND-REPRODUGING MACHINE Application flled llarch 28, "19:10.1 Serial No. 439,884.

This invention relates to new useful improvements in sound reproduclng machines.

One object of the inventionis to provide.

improved means for shifting records on and off of a rotatable turntable, whereby the records may be successively or. selectively reproduced. 1

Another object of the invention is to pro-.

vide a revolvable record carrier in conjunction with means for shifting the records from diametrically opposite sides of the carrier to a turntable within the carrier, whereby,

either of the diametrically opposite sides of the record carrier.

A still further object of the invention is to provide means for locking the recordshift control means against actuation when a record is upon the turntable, wherebythe return of the record to its respective case in the carrier is assured; I 4

Another object of the invention is to provide means for, automatically revolving the record carrier after the reproduced record is'returned to its case, whereby the succeeding record is positioned for engagement by the shifting means.

A still further object of the invent-ion is to provide'improved means for raisin the reproducer from contact with the recor during theshifting action and for positioning and lowering the reproducer onto' the succeeding record at the beginning of its score.

An important object of the invention is to provide variable means for the consecutive or single operation of the various actuating ,means in their respective orders, whereby the machine may operate continuously or inter'mittently.

A construction designed to carry out the invention will be hereinafter described to.- gether with other features of the invention,

The invention" will be more readily understood from a reading ofthe following specification and by reference to the accom- 77 respectively of Fi 9 are panying drawings in which an example of the invention is shown, and wherein:

Figure 1 is a partial view partly in elevation and partly in section of a device constructed in accordance with the invention,

Figure 2 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the line 22 of Figure 1, with the turntable removed,

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional .view taken on the line 33 of Figure 1,

Figures is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 44 of'Figure 1,

Figure 5 is a verticalsectional view-taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 4, I

Figures 6 and 7 are cross-sectional views of the cam disk taken on the lines 6-6 and Figures 8 an .etailed views of the record carrier shifting mechanism,

Figures 10 and 11 are detailed views of the record engaging arm,

Figure 12 is a sectional view taken on the line 12-4201 igure 10,

igure 13 is a detailed view of the,mecha nism for shifting the record engaging arm,

Figure 14 is a sectional view taken on the line 14- 14 of Figure 13,

Figure 15 is a partial plan view of the record shift control and lockin means,

Figure 16 is a sectional view taken on the line 16-16 of Figure 15,

Figure 17 is a detailed view of the cam disk actuating and control means, and

Figure 18 is a sectional view taken on the line 18-18 of Figure 17.

In the drawings the numeral 10 designates a cabinet in which the machine is mounted. A cylindrical record carrier 11 is revolvably mounted in the cabinet on rollers 12 carried on opposite ends of axles 13 which are supported by arms 12 mounted on the base of radius of the'cylinder carrier, a semicircular support 16 (arcuate in cross-section) is supported adjacent the inner edges of the rec'- I ords by a bracket 17 secured to the rear wall of the cabinet 10. For manually revolv-' the front wall of the cabinet is provided with a suitable knob -at its outer end and a gear 18 at its inner end. The gear 18' meshes with a gear ring 20 secured to the front side of the cylinder 11 so that by revolving the knob 20 the carrier is revolved upon its rollers. 5

A shelf 21 mounted on the rear wall of the cabinet by an arm 21', extends within the center of the carrier and has a hollow drive shaft 22 extending vertically therethrough and journaled therein. A turntable 23 is secured to the upper end of the shaft and has a bearing supportupon one end of a sleeve 24 which encircles the shaft 22 and rests upon a washer 25. Said washer encircles the shaft 22 and is mounted in a circular recess 25' of said shelf. The lower end of the'shaft 22 carries a pulley 26 which is connected by a belt 27 to a pulley 28 on the armature shaft 29 of an electric motor 30. The motor is secured by a brace 30 to the bracket arm 21'. A counter drive shaft 31 is slidably mounted over the lower portion of the shaft 22 to which it is keyed by a pin 32. The in extends through a vertical slot 33 in the s aft 22 to allow for vertical reciprocation of the countershaft 31 on the shaft 22. A pinion 43 is secured to the upper end of the counter shaft for meshing with-a gear 44 when the counter shaft is in a lowered position, (Figure 4). When the countershaft is in a' raised position (as shown in dotted lines in Figure 4) the pinion recedes within a circular recess in the bottom of the shelf.

A centering pin 46'rides within the hollow drive shaft 22 and is supported at its lower end by the pin 32 which passes through said pin 46 (Figure 5). It will be noted that the pin 46 is of such length that when the countershaft 31 is in a raised position the pin 46 will protrude above the turntable, and when the counter shaft is in a lowered position the pin 46 is flush with the top of said turntable.

For raising and-lowering the countershaft a pair of annular flanges 34 are provided thereon and between which extend fingers 35 vof a yoke 36 on one end of a lever 37. The lever is pivoted intermediate its ends' between a yoke bracket 33, depending from the shelf,

and has its outer end engaging a latch v39 pivotally depending from betweenarms 40 secured to the underside of said shelf. The latch 39 has a notch 39' for engaging over the lever and holding the same against tension of a spring 41. Thespring is mounted between the outer endof the lever 37 "and an eye 42in the underside of the shelf. ObVi-' ously when the latch notch 39 is engaged over the lever the countershaft is in a raised position, and when the latch notch 39 is disengaged from the lever the countershaft is held in a lowered position under tension of the spring 41 with the pinion 43 engaged with the gear 44 as hereinbefore explained.

The gear 44 is mounted on the lower end of a shaft 47 which is journaled in the shelf. Said shaft has a pinion 48 mounted on its upper end and meshing with a gear 49 secured to a drive sleeve 50. Said drive sleeve encircles the supporting sleeve 24 and rides on the washer 25. A cam disk 51 is mounted on the upper end of the drive sleeve which terminates intermediate the shelf 21 and the turntable.

37 will also be depressed through the rod 54.

thereby disengaging the pinion 43 and gear 44 and allowing the-latch 39 to engage over said lever. By this arrangement the cam disk will make only one revolution between the engaging and disengaging of the pinion 43 and'the gear 44.

For removing a record from its case and placing said record on the turntable in position-for reproducing and for returning the record to its case after being reproduced, a cam groove 55 is provided in the underside of the cam disk' 51. A cam roller .55 is mounted on a lever 56 and rides-within the groove 55 thereby actuating said lever when the cam disk revolves. The lever is held in close relation to the underside of the cam disk by raised supports57 and 58 mounted on the shelf 21' and is pivoted intermediate its center and its forward or outer end to the support 57. The inner end of the lever is pivoted toone end of a link 59 the opposite end of which is pivoted to one end of a. doubl'e gear rack 60. This rack 60 has a slid able mounting within a guide block 61 which is pivoted at one end 62 to the shelf 21,. at the rear and to one side of the turntable and cam disk. The opposite end of the block has a shifting bar 63 pivotally connected thereto. Said bar extends horizontally to the front of the cabinet and through an opening 64 of said cabinet. The bar has at its outer end a suitable knob 65 to provide a convenient hand hold for actuating'said bar to shift the guide block and gear rack.

A lug 66 is secured 'to the bottom of the shift bar 63, near its outer end, for engaging against the sides of one end of a lock bar 67 to lock the shift bar against actuating. The free end of the bar 67 is supported on a bracket 68 between guides, 69 and the opposite end of saidbar is pivotedto the outer end 13"..

76. bracket 77 secured to an angle support 78 of the lever 56, whereby the actuation of said lever will reciprocate said bar 67 between the guides 69. A slot 70 is provided in the free end of the lock bar to provide for the shifting of the bar 63 when the cam roller of the lever 56 is at a neutral point 71 in the cam groove 55. A spring 72 mounted on the bracket 68 engages a boss 73v of the shift bar 63 for holding the guide block 61 and rack under tension in either a forward or rear position. A raised step 7 4 of the bracket 68 "serves as a support for the outer end of the.

bar 63 and also as a brace for said bar against compression of the spring 72.

When the guide block 61 is in either a forward or a rearposition one of the racks of the double gear rack 60 will mesh with a pinion 75 secured on the lower end of a vertical shaft The shaft is mounted in a bearing n'iounted on the shelf 21. .A gear 79 secured to the upper end of the shaft 76 meshes with a single gear rack 80 slidably mounted on an L t-rackway 81 on the to of the bracket 78. It may be seen that as t 1e double gear rack reciprocates through actuation of the lever 56, and is meshed with the pinion 75, said pinion will rotate alternately in opposite directions 80 upon the trackway and thereby likewise'rotate the gear 79 which in turn-will reciprocate the single gear rack 81. Obviously, by shifting the guide block 61 the directions of alternate rotation of the pinion and gear and cured on the top side'of a counter-arm 86 and adjacent the members with which they are held under tensional contact by means of springs 89 encircling bolts 87 secured in the counter-arm and extending through openings 88 in the arm 82 and confined between the heads of said bolts and the arm 82. The engaging members have bevelled lips 86' on each side to provide for the centering of the records between the complementary members A conventional sound reproducer 90 is mounted on a supporting arm 91 which. is

1 pivoted to a shaft 92 and rotatably mounted on a support 93. A cam lever 94 has one end rigidly secured to the arin 91 and the oppo-' site end provided with a finger 95 which rides; in a cam groove 96 in the top of the cam disk.

One end of the groove has a downward incline 97 leading to an arcuate valley 98. The incline provides for the gentle lowering of the repro ucer needle onto the record-.to-be reproat which time the pinion 43 a duced while the arcuate vallcy- 98 is of the proper curve and depth to allow the finger 95 to move free of any-frictional contact while the reproducer needle rests upon the record. One side of the valley 98 has an inclined rise 99 on which the finger rides out of the valley thus raising the reproducer at the end of the score onthe record. As the reproducer is raised from the record at the end of the score thereon, a lever 100 secured to the lower end of the shaft 92 will disengage the latch 39 from the lever-37, thereby meshing the pinion 43 and gear 44 and causing the cam disk 51 to rotate. The rotation of said disk will cause the finger to ride against a curved shoulder 101 of the. disk which will returnsaid finger to the groove 96, thereby moving the reproducer in a raised position to the startingpoint of the succeeding record to be re roduced.

hen the machine'is not operating the arm 82 is in a neutral position over the center of the'turntable, with the roller 55, at the point 71 of the cam groove. This position, a's'hereinbefore stated, allows for the shifting of the double gear rack 60, whereby the records may be removed by actuation of the arm 82, from either side of the carrier for reproduction.

As illustrated'in the drawings the rack 60 is.

in a rearward position with the front row of gear teeth meshed with the pinion 75, thereby providing for the remov of the records from the left side of the carrier (Figure 1).

As the motor 30 is started with the 43 and gear 44 engaged, the cam disk 'egins to rotate, thereby moving the arm 82 to the left and engages the record positioned opposite the turntable between .the complementary -members 85 and 85.

its case and onto the turntable. As the arm 82 nears the right side of the turntable the centerlng pm is partially raised against the record just beforethe center hole of the record passes over said pin, so that said pin will engage in the center hole of the record to inion l The arm then 1 -moves to the right pulling the record from hold the same against movement of the arm 82, whereby said arm will pullloose from the record. The partial raising of the centering pin is caused by the partial depression of the lever 37 by a forward step 52' of the cam 52. This partial'de ression of the lever 37 does not completely\ isengage the pinion 43 and gear 44, thus the arm 82 continues to move to the right until freed frggdn the record,

completely disengaged by action of the rear step 53 of the cam 52 onthe lever" 37, thus stopping the rotation of the disk. The disk remains stationary during the reproduction of the record with theiarm 82 positioned at the right of the turntable free from contact gear 44 arewith the record on the turntable and the records in the carrier.

. At the end of the score on the record the pinion 43 and gear 44 are meshed and the centering pin is lowered flush with the turnpoint a motor switch 112 is opened thereby breaking an electric circuit to the motor 30 and stopping the same.

The motor switch comprises spring contact arms 113 and 114 spaced apart and secured in an insulating block 115 mounted on a bracket 107 secured to the shelf 21. As is best shown in Figures 1 and 8 the switch is connected in a wire 116 leading from a plug 117 mounted in the back of the cabinet, to the motor 30. Another wire 118.leading from the plug is connected direct to the motor. One length of the wire 116 is attached to the arm 113 while the other length of'said wire is attached to the arm 114-. The arm 113 extends beyond the other arm and has one end of a screw threaded eye bolt 119 extending therethrough and carrying a nut 120. The bolt 119 is .pivoted at its other end to an elongated arm of a bell crank lever 106 pivoted to the bracket 107, whereby the lifting of said lever arm will break the contact between'the switch arms.

The elongated arm of the bell crank lever has pivoted to its outer end a dog 108 which is tensioned by a springj'110 against teeth 109 of the record carrier, whereby the lifting of the elongated lever-arm will engage the dog 108 over the succeeding tooth of said teeth.

The number of teeth 109 corresponds to the number of record cases. The opposite'and upper end of the bell crank lever 106 is connected by a link 105 to one end of a bell crank lever 103 pivotally mounted on a boss 103 of the shelf 21. A roller 102 mounted on the other end of the lever 10 3 is tensioned a ainst the lower part of the rim of the cam disk by a spring 104 secured between the lever and a flange 84 of the brace 84., A semicircular recess 102'. is provided in the rim of the disk and so positioned that the roller 102 will ride in said recess, when the arm 82 is in its neutral position. As the roller rides in said recess the dog will be lifted from engagement with one tooth 109 and into engagement with the succeeding tooth and also the switch arm 113 will be lifted, thereby breaking its contact with the switch arm 114 and thus Ste pin the motor.

or c osing the electrical circuit to the motor, a starting switch 121 mounted in the front of the cabinet 10, has wire connections 122 and 123 to the switch arms 113 and 114, respectively, so that by closing the swltch 121 the electrical circuit to the motor 30 is completed. As the motor starts and the cam disk be ins to rotate the roller 102 will ride out of t e recess 102 thereby depressing the dog 108 and revolving the carrier on its rollers 12 to bring the record succeeding the one last .reproduced into position for engagement by the record engaging arm 82. A finger 111 secured to the bracket 107 limits the downward movement of the dog 108 and serves to brace the same for positioning the carrier.

When the roller 102 rides out of the recess the switch arm 113 will contact under its own tension with the switch arm 114 thereby closing the electrical circuit to the motor throu h the switch 112. By this arrangement lie motor will remain closed until the record is reproduced, even though the switch 121 is opened. But, by leaving the switch 121 closed the motor circuit will remain closed and the machine will operate continuously, thereby reproducing the records in successive order.

To osition a selected record for engagement y the arm 82 the carrier is revolved on itsirollers 12 by turning the knob 20, as hereinbefore. explained, until the record selected is opposite the turntable and in position for engagement by the arm 82. It will be remembered that by revolving the carrier and changing the position of a record from an engaging position at one side of the turntable to the engaging position at the opposite side of the turntable therecord will be turned over, thereby providing for the reproduction of either side of said record when desired.

Various changes in the size and shape of the different parts, as well as modifications and alterations, may be made within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a sound reproducin apparatus, a rotatable turntable, means or rotating said table, a revolvable record carrier surrounding said table, means for displacing records from diametrically opposite points of said carrier onto said table to reverse the records, and sound reproducing means including a stylus for engaging said record.

2. The combination set forth in claim 1 with means for controlling the record displacing means to determine the side of the carrier from which the records are displaced.

3. The combination set forth in claim 1 with means for controlling the record displacing, means to determine the side of the carrier from which the records are displaced, means for returning the recordto the carrier, and means for locking the displacing control means to assure a return of the records to their proper position in the carrier.

4. The combination set forth in claim 1 with means for holdin a record on the table, and manually operated means for revolving the carrier to position a selected record for enga' ement'by the dis lacing'means;

- 5. asound repro ucin apparatus,aro-' 'tatable turntable, means or rotating said table, a revolvable record carrier surroundin said table, means for displacing a recor from either of diametrically o posits points of said carrier. onto said tab e, means for holding the record on said table, means for reproducing the record, means for returning the record after the reproduction thereof to the carrier, means for automatically revolving the carrier, and means for continuously operating the various actuating means in their respective order.

6. The combination set forth in claim 5 with means for controlling the record displacing means to determine the side of the "carrier from which the records are displaced,

and means for locking said control means to assure the ositive return of the recordto its proper pos tion in the carrier.

7. In a sound reproducin apparatus, a ro tatable turntable, means or rotating said g -table, a revolvable record carrier surrounding said table, means for displacing records from diametrically opposite points of the car- 7 rier onto said table, sound reproducing means including a stylus for engaging said record,

means for returning said reco to its respective position in the carrier, manually operated means .for selectin a record to be repro- ;duced,-and means for intermittently operating the various actuating means in their respective order. Tl v i r 8. The combination set forth in claim 7 with means for controllin the displacing .means to determine thev si e of the carrier from which} record is displaced, and means a for locking said control means against actuation while a record is displaced from the carrier. v

9. In a sound reproducintg apparatuaa r6- tating turnta 1e, means or rotating said table, a revolvablerecord carrier, means for manually or automatically revolving said carrier, means for displacing records from diametrically opposite points of said carrier on tosaid table to reverse the record, means for 5 holding a record, on said table,-means for reprodu said record, means for returning the fllileg carrier, mflans fogaautor mati a 'e soun repr uc' means' fiomthe end of the-score on a to the of the score ona'succeeding L record, and variable means for continuously operating the variousactuating means in their r 1pective order. v A J j n testimony whereof I ailix m signature. 

